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University of North Carolina Athletics
Six Tar Heels Ready for U.S. Amateur
August 8, 2020 | Men's Golf
National Championship Begins Monday
Five current Tar Heels and one former University of North Carolina men's golfer will begin play on Monday in the first round of the 2020 United States Amateur at Bandon Dunes Resort in Bandon, Ore.
Fifth-year senior Austin Hitt of Longwood, Fla., and sophomore Austin Greaser of Vandalia, Ohio, will play the Bandon Dunes Course. Former Tar Heel Kevin O'Connell, who now resides in Cary, N.C., senior Ryan Gerard of Raleigh, N.C., junior Ryan Burnett of Lafayette, Calif., and incoming freshman Ryan Smith of Carlsbad, Calif., will tee off on the Bandon Trails Course.
Those six are part of the 264-player field that received automatic exemptions into the 2020 U.S. Amateur. Typical qualifying for the U.S. Amateur was canceled this year due to Covid-19. Instead, players were automatically exempted in one of a number of criteria established by the United States Golf Association.
Gerard, Hitt and Smith received exemptions for finishing in the top 64 at the 2019 U.S. Amateur, which was played at Pinehurst;
O'Connell qualified by winning the 2018 Mid-Amateur (and by playing in the 2019 U.S. Open and being ranked in the top 225 of the world amateur rankings);
Greaser entered the field via his quarterfinal finish in the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur;
And Burnett is also ranked in the top 225 in the world rankings (as are Gerard and Hitt).
"The U.S. Amateur is the pinnacle of amateur golf, which is why the winner receives invitations to the Masters, U.S. Open and more," says Carolina head coach Andrew DiBitetto. "It's a huge honor for all our Tar Heels to be in the field, something each one of them has earned with their great play. We are excited to follow their play and can't wait to support them all week."
Each competitor plays 36 holes of stroke play over Monday and Tuesday, August 10 and 11, with the low 64 advancing to match play beginning Wednesday. The rounds of 32 and 16 are scheduled for Thursday, quarterfinals are Friday, semifinals are Saturday and the 36-hole championship match is set for Sunday, August 16.
Last year, Gerard and Hitt tied for ninth after the 36 holes of stroke play.
"The USGA has done an incredible job to host this tournament," says DiBitetto. "Golf tournaments have taken place all summer, but this one is different. It's an extremely large field with players coming from all over the world and the USGA has prepared for months to execute this in the safest way possible."
The U.S. Amateur champion receives a gold medal, custody of the Havemeyer Trophy for one season, exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Amateurs, exemption into 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and the 2021 Open Championship and an invitation to 2021 Masters.
Fifth-year senior Austin Hitt of Longwood, Fla., and sophomore Austin Greaser of Vandalia, Ohio, will play the Bandon Dunes Course. Former Tar Heel Kevin O'Connell, who now resides in Cary, N.C., senior Ryan Gerard of Raleigh, N.C., junior Ryan Burnett of Lafayette, Calif., and incoming freshman Ryan Smith of Carlsbad, Calif., will tee off on the Bandon Trails Course.
Those six are part of the 264-player field that received automatic exemptions into the 2020 U.S. Amateur. Typical qualifying for the U.S. Amateur was canceled this year due to Covid-19. Instead, players were automatically exempted in one of a number of criteria established by the United States Golf Association.
Gerard, Hitt and Smith received exemptions for finishing in the top 64 at the 2019 U.S. Amateur, which was played at Pinehurst;
O'Connell qualified by winning the 2018 Mid-Amateur (and by playing in the 2019 U.S. Open and being ranked in the top 225 of the world amateur rankings);
Greaser entered the field via his quarterfinal finish in the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur;
And Burnett is also ranked in the top 225 in the world rankings (as are Gerard and Hitt).
"The U.S. Amateur is the pinnacle of amateur golf, which is why the winner receives invitations to the Masters, U.S. Open and more," says Carolina head coach Andrew DiBitetto. "It's a huge honor for all our Tar Heels to be in the field, something each one of them has earned with their great play. We are excited to follow their play and can't wait to support them all week."
Each competitor plays 36 holes of stroke play over Monday and Tuesday, August 10 and 11, with the low 64 advancing to match play beginning Wednesday. The rounds of 32 and 16 are scheduled for Thursday, quarterfinals are Friday, semifinals are Saturday and the 36-hole championship match is set for Sunday, August 16.
Last year, Gerard and Hitt tied for ninth after the 36 holes of stroke play.
"The USGA has done an incredible job to host this tournament," says DiBitetto. "Golf tournaments have taken place all summer, but this one is different. It's an extremely large field with players coming from all over the world and the USGA has prepared for months to execute this in the safest way possible."
The U.S. Amateur champion receives a gold medal, custody of the Havemeyer Trophy for one season, exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Amateurs, exemption into 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and the 2021 Open Championship and an invitation to 2021 Masters.
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